Winning products include Roland Boutique series synthesizers and the just-released LX708 Digital Piano

Los Angeles, CA, October 10, 2018 — Roland is pleased to announce that the Japan Institute of Design and Promotion has honored the Roland Boutique series and the just-released LX708 Digital Piano each with "Good Design Award 2018" accolades. The Roland Boutique series was also chosen for the "My Favorite Choice for Good Design 2018—Good Design Award 2018 Jury's Personal Selections Exhibit.” This exhibit, held in Tokyo from October 3 to November 4, showcases a select group of Good Design Award 2018-winning products that were personal favorites of this year’s jury members, and the Roland Boutique series will be there on display.

Organized by the Japan Institute of Design and Promotion since 1975, the Good Design Award is the sole comprehensive design evaluation and promotion program in Japan. Many companies and designers from both inside and outside of Japan participate in this annual design event to not only enhance the industry but to also highlight the enhanced quality of life achieved through design. “G Mark,” the symbol of the award, is widely recognized as an emblem of exemplary design.

Designed for fans of the unique synth tones that were popular in the ‘80s, the Roland Boutique series is packed with authentic sounds in a compact package. Since the series’ debut in 2015, Roland has released 13 models, including some that reproduce the tones of TR-808 and TB-303—two instruments that have influenced countless musicians and producers and continue to remain popular to this day. Models comprising the Roland Boutique series Good Design Award 2018 include the TR-08 Rhythm Composer, which recreates the sounds of the iconic TR-808 drum machine, the TB-03 Bass Line, the SH-01A Synthesizer, the SE-02 Analog Synthesizer, the D-05 Linear Synthesizer, the K-25m Keyboard Unit, and the DK-01 Boutique Dock.

“In a product category that is dominated by digital products, the Roland Boutique series synthesizers are based on an enthusiasm for the analog feel. Incorporating the latest technologies, this series recreates—in a compact form factor and without sacrificing their ease of use—the flavors of vintage synthesizers that cannot be expressed on their digital counterparts. The entire series is designed on a unified theme which is sure to pique the fascination of collectors,” stated the Good Design jury.

The LX708 Digital Piano is one of three new models just released as part of Roland’s LX700 piano series debut. All pianos in Roland’s latest line are equipped with proprietary “PureAcoustic Piano Modeling technology,” which reproduces the way pianos create sound in response to players touching keys and the way sounds interact with the acoustic qualities of varied physical locations. This enables players to enjoy their performance with a more natural sensitivity for the expressive tones and rich resonance produced on grand pianos. The LX708, and all pianos in the LX700 series, can meticulously reproduce the acoustic characteristics of concert halls, cathedrals, and other spaces where pianos are played, giving players the ultimate experience in piano performance and allowing them to feel the resonance as if they were actually playing in that particular space.

“The LX708 garnered praise for its developers' approach of pursuing a new interpretation for digital pianos,” added the Good Design jury. “Instead of hiding its speakers and controls, this product adopts a design where they are made visible in a clear and aesthetically pleasing way, also giving it the elegance that pianos are known for. Meticulous attention has also gone into the keyboard touch, making this product a beautiful fusion of digital and acoustic.”

To learn more about the wide variety of award-winning drum, keyboard, guitar, recording, and DJ musical instruments created by Roland’s talented team of engineers and product designers, please visit Roland.com.

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Photo file 1: Roland_Boutique_GD2018.jpg
Photo caption 1: Roland Boutique series synthesizers, together the recipient of a “Good Design Award 2018” from the Japan Institute of Design and Promotion

About Japan Institute of Design Promotion and Good Design JDP is Japan's only institution dedicated to the comprehensive promotion of design. Truly comprehensive, this promotion encompasses the internationally recognized Good Design Award program—held for more than 60 years—and activities at Good Design Marunouchi and Tokyo Midtown Design Hub to share compelling design and explore its potential. Japan's Good Design Award program is a uniquely comprehensive platform for design evaluation and advocacy. Exemplary design in many spheres, with the potential to drive industrial growth and enrich lives, is found and shared through the program, which has a distinguished history and has grown to an unmatched scale. Over more than 60 years, the G Mark logo has become a familiar sign of good design. For more information about the JDP, visit https://www.jidp.or.jp/en/ and for more information about the Good Design Award, visit http://www.g-mark.org/.

About Roland CorporationRoland Corporation is a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments, including keyboards and synthesizers, guitar products, electronic percussion, digital recording equipment, amplifiers, audio processors, and multimedia products. With more than 40 years of musical instrument development, Roland sets the standard in music technology for the world to follow. For more information, visit Roland.comor see your local Roland dealer.